Eight tips for healthy eating
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. Eat the right number of calories, so you balance the amount of food you consume with the energy you use. If you eat or drink too much, you’ll put on weight and become overweight or obese. If you eat too little you’ll lose weight and become underweight.Takeaways and fast foods are often cheap and satisfying but, unfortunately, they're not always very healthy. Eat at home when possible as food in restaurants and fast food shops usually contains high calories, high fat and little fibre.
These practical tips cover the basics of healthy eating, and can help you make healthier choices:
- Base your meals on starchy foods
Starchy foods include potatoes, cereals, pasta, rice and bread. Choose wholegrain and wholemeal varieties when you can: they contain more fiber, and can make you feel full for longer. Try to include at least one starchy food with each main meal. - Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
It’s recommended that we eat at least five portions of different types of fruit and vegetables a day. Fruit and vegetables are a vital source of vitamins and minerals. Having a sliced banana with your morning cereal is a quick way to get one portion. Swap your mid-morning biscuit for a tangerine, and add a side salad to your lunch. - Eat more fish
Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. Aim for at least two portions a week. Oily fish is high in omega-3 fats, which may help to prevent heart disease. - Cut down on bad fat and sugar
We all need some fat in our diet. But it’s important to pay attention to the amount and type of fat we’re eating. There are two main types of fat: saturated (bad) and unsaturated (good). Too much bad fat increases your risk of developing heart disease. Bad fat is found in many foods, such as cheese, cakes, biscuits, sausages, and pies. Try to cut down onbad fat, and choose food that contains good fats such as vegetable oils, nuts, fish and avocados. Good fats provide us with the essential fatty acids needed to help us stay healthy. Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals such as iron and vitamin B12.When you're having meat, choose lean meat.
Most people in the UK eat and drink too much sugar. Sugary foods and drinks are often high in calories, they can cause tooth problems, especially if eaten between meals. Cut down on sugary fizzy drinks, cakes, biscuits and pastries. - Don't get thirsty
We need to drink about 1.2 liters of liquid every day to stop us getting dehydrated. This is in addition to the liquid we get from the food we eat. All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water, milk and fruit juices are the healthiest. - Eat plenty of milk and dairy foods Milk and dairy foods such as cheese and yoghurt are good sources of protein. They also contain calcium, which helps to keep your bones healthy. To enjoy the health benefits of dairy without eating too much fat, use semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, and yoghurt.
7. Don’t skip breakfast
Some people skip breakfast because they think it will help them to lose weight. In fact, research shows that eating breakfast can help people control their weight. A healthy breakfast is an important part of a balanced diet, and provides some of the vitamins and minerals we need for good health. Wholemeal cereal, with fruit sliced over the top is a tasty and nutritious breakfast.
8. Follow the "Food Pyramid"
The Pyramid is a guide of what to eat each day to get the nutrients you need and at the same time the right amount of calories to maintain healthy weight.
II. Find English equivalents to these word combinations:
Поддерживать здоровье; количество потребляемой еды; набирать вес; терять вес; много жира; мало клетчатки; здоровое питание; углеводная пища; 5 порций фруктов; уменьшить потребление сладких газированных напитков; жизненно-важный источник витаминов и минералов; хороший источник белка; оставаться здоровым; насыщенный жир (вредный); выбирать нежирное мясо; вызывает болезни зубов; терять воду (дегидратация); содержит кальций; обеспечивает здоровье костей; около 1,2 л жидкости в день; обезжиренное молоко; пропускать завтрак; цельнозерновые крупы; питательный завтрак.
III. Answer these questions:
1. What is an important part of maintaining good health?
2. Why do we have to eat the right number of calories?
3. If you eat or drink too much you’ll lose weight and be underweight, won’t you?
4. Why are takeaways and fast food nearly always unhealthy?
5. Why should you choose wholegrain and wholemeal varieties of starchy food?
6. How much starchy food should you eat?
7. Why is it necessary to eat at least five portions of different types of fruit and vegetables a day?
8. It’s better to aim for at least six portions of fish a week, isn’t it?
- How does fish help to prevent heart disease?
10. Is bad fat found in cheese, cakes, and sausages or in vegetable oils, nuts, and avocados?
11. Taking meat, you need to choose fatty meat, don’t you?
12. Why should you cut down on sugar?
13. How much liquid should you drink every day to stop you getting dehydrated?
14. Milk and dairy products help to keep your bones healthy, don’t they?
15. What is more beneficial for your health whole milk or skimmed milk? Why?
16. To control your weight what is better eat or skip breakfast?
17. What is a good option for a nutritious breakfast?
18. Does Food Pyramid show the recommended intake for each food group?
IV. Fill the gaps with appropriate words combination from the box:
| stay healthy saturated (bad) fat choose lean meat cause tooth problems getting dehydrated about 1.2 liters of liquid every day contain calcium keep your bones healthy skimmed milk skip breakfast wholemeal cereal nutritious breakfast |
| maintaining good health amount of food you consume put on weight lose weight high fat little fibre healthy eating starchy food cut down on sugary fizzy drinks five portions of fruit a vital source of vitamins and minerals a good source of protein |
1. Chicken is ……………………………………………………………………………….
2. Drinking less then ……………………………………………………………………can result in being dehydrated.
3. In order to ……………………………………………….. people have to eat all necessary vitamins and minerals.
4. Following my doctor’s advice I eat ………………………………………………….
and vegetables every day.
5. I never …………………………………….. … because if I did so I would be hungry very soon and couldn’t concentrate on my work at school.
6. Doctors believe that too much sweets in our diet……………………………………………
7. If you don’t want to …………………………………………………………… ……
you have to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly.
8. My sister doesn’t like going to fast food restaurants she thinks that most food there contains ……………………… and ……………………… ………..
9. Don’t eat too much cheese and fatty meat because they contain ………………………… which increases your risk of developing heart disease.
10. If you don’t want to put on weight and have tooth problems ……………………………………………………………………………………….
11. The Food pyramid shows us the kind of food and the right amount of calories for ………………………………………………………………………….
12. …………………………………. and dairy food contain calcium, which helps to keep your bones healthy.
13. ……………………………………. provides your body with fuel for the entire day.
14. When my mother buys cereals for our family she usually chooses…………………………….. …………………
15. …………………………………………………………….should balance with the energy you use. This helps you to maintain your body weight.
16. If you are overweight or obese eat a balanced diet, exercise and be active to ……… …………………… …
17. …………………………………….is a way of balancing the food you eat to keep your body strong, and energized.
18. Lean meat is ……………………………………………………………………………..
19. Low-fat cheese and skimmed milk help to ………………………………………………………………………….
20. …………………………………….. contains the starchy carbohydrates that are the body's main source of energy.
21. Dairy foods should be eaten in moderation because of their high bad fat content, but they....................................................., which is essential for healthy bones and teeth.
22. Eating too much fatty meat increases your risk of developing heart disease. Try to cut down on fat and ………………………………………………………….
23. We need to drink about 1.2 liters of liquid every day to stop us………………………………………………………………………………
